Report of Missouri Farmers' Week. 131 



in the world when we have finished our course so that posterity 

 may have and enjoy the blessings that naturally belong to men. 

 I do not believe that parents should unduly enslave themselves for 

 their children, or make sacrifices at too long distances; it is not 

 necessary, or would not be if things were at proper balance, but 

 I do contend that satisfaction with our own efforts cannot be 

 attained unless we do something that will not be narrowly selfish. 



Farmers have something to do if they obtain for themselves 

 and others who do not share fairly in the country's prosperity 

 their just proportion. Under present conditions there is no defense 

 for a twelve-hour day's work either on the farm or in the shops 

 an,d mills. There is no more reason why a farmer should work 

 twelve hours a day than that a railroad president should be bound 

 in service that unreasonable and unnecessary time each day. 

 There is no more reason why the captains of finance should enjoy 

 their annual vacation of a month or more than should the farmer 

 whose natural endowments and natural rights entitle him to these 

 relaxations. The soil provides the means to enable the one to in- 

 dulge his desires and necessities just as it does for the other, and 

 were it not for the fact that one gets more for his labor than, he 

 is entitled to and the other is grossly underpaid both could have 

 that leisure and rest so necessary to the best results from a man's 

 efforts. These are economic or political conditions that the farmer 

 is as much responsible for as any other class of men. Content in 

 his environment, satisfied with his progress along material lines, 

 he has been unmindful of economic developments that have brought 

 forth conditions that are menacing to the people's welfare. 



During the ascendancy of Oom Paul Kruger, the South Africa 

 Dutch sage, two brothers disputed about the division of their 

 father's estate. The older and stronger brother attempted to gain 

 an advantage over the other. Finally the dispute was submitted 

 to Oom Paul for his decision. After the matter was fully pre- 

 sented to him he disposed of it by saying to the older brother: 

 "You divide the property into two parts and give your brother the 

 choice." There is need of some such system of arbitration in this 

 country. We are frogetting the golden rule. 



A few, a very few, men have been getting a great deal more 

 than their share — more than they have earned. It is time that 

 all hired men, of the soil should receive their just share. Not only 

 should this be so for the immediate solution of the question of 

 fair division of the profits of the soil, but it is necessary in order 



